Painting of Christ healing the paralytic and walking on water, north wall of baptistery
YUAG, Dura-Europos Collection, negative number e173
This photograph records the wall painting of two miracles of Christ in situ on the baptistery’s north wall, prior to their removal from the site and the scenes’ division into two panels. Other paintings on the wall’s upper register may also have depicted additional scenes of Christ’s miracles. The group’s approximate dating to the year 232 establishes them as most likely the earliest securely dated representations of Jesus. On the right, the walking on water scene features a large boat holding four disciples with upraised arms who look at both Jesus and Peter walking on water in the foreground (only the figure of Jesus holding Peter’s outstretched right arm is included in this photograph). The scene follows Matthew 14:22-36 (rather than Mark 6:45-52 or John 6:15-21 which have only Jesus walking on water). Water flows into the scene on the left, Christ healing the paralytic (John 5:2-15 and the Synoptic Gospels). Jesus extends his right arm toward a man lying on a pallet, who appears again on the far left standing upright and carrying his pallet on his back.